MEDIA RELEASE

Community organizations celebrate the American Cancer Society’s 37th annual Great American Smokeout.

Held Nov. 15, the Great American Smokeout is an annual nationwide event created by the American Cancer Society to encourage smokers to start their New Year’s resolution a little early and designate Nov. 15 as the day to quit smoking or to make a plan to quit smoking.

“Tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the U.S., but more than 43 million Americans still smoke,” said Jackie Young, PhD, chief staff officer, American Cancer Society Hawaii Pacific. “The Great American Smokeout is a perfect opportunity for smokers to take that important first step, make their New Year’s resolution a little early and kick the habit now.”

The Hawaii Tobacco Quitline – 1-800-QUIT-NOW (1-800-784-8669) – is a free and confidential statewide telephone service for Hawaii tobacco users who want to quit. The Quitline provides individuals who are ready to quit with free nicotine gum or patches, free access to Quit Coaches well as referrals to other community cessation services and information for family, friends and health care providers who are interested in helping others quit smoking.

Smokers can also get tips, tools and resources in the palm of their hand with the Hawaii Tobacco Quitline’s Text2QuitSM service – an interactive mobile program that helps individuals stay engaged through text messages, tips and games to help manage urges, mobile tracking of tobacco use and much more! Another

The Great American Smokeout Helps Hawaii Smokers Kick Butts free resource for smokers, ClearTheSmoke.org, offers information about the Hawaii Tobacco Quitline, as well as educational and interactive features such as a quiz to test if a smoker’s addicted to nicotine, and calculator which shows how much money can be saved from quitting tobacco.

The Hawaii Tobacco Quitline has answered more than 20,000 calls from local residents since its launch in 2005. Research shows that people who call the Quitline are more likely to quit successfully than if they quit on their own, especially when they use the nicotine patch or gum along with the coaching services.

The Hawaii Tobacco Quitline is funded by the Hawaii Tobacco Prevention and Control Trust Fund.

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